Realizing that financial well-being is the ticket to achieving so much in our society, A’Lyse Thomas has big dreams to open her own financial planning firm serving African American communities. But she’s not waiting for graduation to start giving back. During her time at UM-Dearborn, A’Lyse has established herself as a force for change on campus, including as a leader in the Black Student Union and a passionate advocate for other first-gen students.

A’Lyse, in her own words

On being a leader in the Black Student Union. “I’m currently the secretary of the Black Student Union and it’s always the goal to stay in touch with our members and assist them with their ever-changing needs. It is imperative for our community to stick closely together, have a safe place to share our issues and most importantly, push each other towards the ultimate goals of graduation. We host weekly events to promote fellowship amongst new African American students, where we openly discuss the challenges of attending a primarily white institution. The dream for a lot of African American students is to attend a Historically Black College or University and be surrounded by people of the same cultural background. But this dream does not become a reality for most African American students living in the greater Detroit area. I attended a high school where African American students were the majority. As I transitioned from high school to college, I was moved to the 12 percent population of African American students attending the University of Michigan-Dearborn. The Black Student Union creates an atmosphere for discussion related to these challenges, such as being the only African American student in the classroom and being the center of attention when addressing racial topics. We stress to our members that even if you are not the majority, that does not mean you are a minority. There are students who can relate to you, and we have a great network of faculty and staff members you can connect with here on campus.”

The challenges of being a first-gen student. “There is a lot of pressure when you are a first-generation college student, typically from your parents, who may want you to become a doctor or a lawyer. But what happens when you realize you’re not good at chemistry or communicating? For first-generation college students to be successful, you must have a plan. More importantly, the plan must be flexible and realistic.” 

Building power through financial literacy. “After graduation, I plan to establish a financial planning firm to push financial literacy within African American communities. Financial literacy teachings are intentionally left out of the black community, because knowing how to manage your money allows you to invest and save for the future. My vision is to lead financial counseling and coaching programs for parents and children. Parents will then pass this knowledge to their children and children will be able to comprehend the concept of money and its value at an early age. My goal is to emphasize the difference between having money and having wealth. This is how you create wealth that will follow you longer than your money ever will — and benefit generations to come.”